By: Matt Spaulding
Wow. That's the word I kept thinking throughout this week's episode. After the amazing episode we got last week, I wasn't sure they could keep the quality that high, let alone top it. Boy, was I wrong.
This episode hit the ground at full tilt. A city official is working hard to relocate the homeless as part of a gentrification process. But something isn't happy. As said official is in the middle of a phone conversation, a giant bursts into his office and tears him apart. What an opening for an episode!
And just as we're led to believe that this is the main focus of the episode, Scully gets a call from her brother at the investigation of the first murder. A family tragedy has occurred. This sets up a truly emotional subplot in which Scully, dealing with this tragedy, can't tear her mind away from William, the son she and Mulder gave up. I'm not exaggerating when I say this part of the show was so well done I was close to tearing up.
To top it off, the two story lines, that of the monster and that of Dana's emotions, tie together absolutely beautifully at the end in a great piece of social commentary for the real world and a great emotional climax for Scully and Mulder.
This episode was absolutely fabulous. The monster portion was intense, frightening, bloody, and mysterious. The emotional arc for Scully, as I said, was heart-wrenching. The direction by Glen Morgan was gorgeous. The episode was a visual feast. The only thing I'm still not entirely sure about this season is the through-line of William. With only two episodes left, I can't see how they can possibly close out this story if we don't get another season. But, I'm open to being proven wrong.
Definitely an A+. A truly classic episode.